The Department of Justice’s continued inclusion of marijuana as a Schedule 1, and thus banned, drug in the face of such broad legalization by states makes no sense to advocates.

“It’s unfortunate that some organizations out there that do have ties to the federal government cannot assist folks that are looking for jobs or housing because of cannabis and its illegality,” said Kamani Jefferson of the Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council.

The Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council is a nonprofit that works to ensure that the marijuana industry is safe for large and small markets and that the products available to consumers have variety and quality.

Continuing to ban marijuana shows the federal government is failing to heed the wishes of states and communities, Jefferson said.

“It just doesn’t make sense,” he said.

The federal government’s marijuana categorization also is contradicted by such specialists as Dr. Peter Grinspoon of Massachusetts General Hospital and Dr. Marion McNabb, a public health doctor and CEO and co-founder of the Cannabis Community Care and Research Network (“C3RN”), of Somerville.